Find Kelly’s replacement. Launch an aggressive PR campaign. Continue reaching out to campuses, young players and fans. Help discover college hockey’s version of Jeremy Lin.

I’m not suggesting the organization do anything rash. However, college hockey as a whole needs to capitalize on some momentum.

Penn State is going DI next year. NBC Sports Network’s Friday night games are drawing tens of thousands of viewers (here and here). Overall, the sport at the college rank seems to be doing well.

Amid this promise, there is also an urgency in the struggle to keep high-quality young players in U.S.-based college programs rather than Canadian Juniors.

Broadly, Kelly’s departure adds a frustrating air of uncertainty to collegiate hockey. Specifically, today’s development represents an immediate personnel problem that could distract College Hockey Inc. from the goal of promoting the game.

A leadership change always bring an adjustment periods to organizations. This will be no different.

A new leader at College Hockey Inc. will likely require time to understand the organization’s intricacies and staff. Communication plans will need to be adjusted to the new executive director. Perhaps the position is reconfigured.

This isn’t a crushing blow to College Hockey Inc. by any means.

However, with so much room for growth and so many opportunities via social media to reach potential recruits and new fans, Kelly’s departure is an issue at this moment.

I’ll settle for this: Even if the organization is deliberate in its next moves, then at minimum its outreach strategies need to kick into high-gear.

And as I wrote in one of this blog’s first posts, college hockey needs a new rock star. In the ideal world, the arrival of Kelly’s replacement coincides with the recruitment of a top-notch young player who can generate buzz about the game in college.

Yes let’s keep things in perspective. But I’ll add that the clock is ticking …

In a salary-dump move, the going-nowhere Ottawa Senators traded d-man Chris Campoli and a seventh round draft pick to the Blackhawks for a second rounder and Ryan Potulny, a marginal prospect with just 22 goals in 126 NHL games.

The Binghamton Senators were a scuffling, somewhat under performing team when Potulny arrived last spring. They entered the playoffs as a barely-qualified fifth seed.

Yet with Potulny on board, the B-Sens went on an unexpected Calder Cup run and Potulny lead the AHL in playoff scoring last year with a 14-12-26 line in 23 games.

Ryan Potulny's clutch scoring during last year's AHL playoffs will ultimately benefit the Ottawa Senators.

Terrific. So why should you care now?

With the focus on Rick Nash, Philly’s futile attempts to improve their defense, and  speculation about what major market teams like Detroit, Toronto and Boston will do, we should pay more attention to the minor leagues.

Without question, the Oilers, Lightning, or any other team destined to miss the NHL playoffs should make AHL affiliate-bolstering trades.

The AHL is rife with guys who won’t quite make the NHL but are great leaders.

Potulny may not be with the Sens organization any longer, his scoring was instrumental last year and it helped key Ottawa prospects such as Robin Lehner, Jared Cowen, and Bobby Butler benefit from an extended playoff run last year.

We’re talking about having the core of your NHL team face tough and ultimately successful circumstances. You can’t develop that type of experience.

So while Twitter will spew out news about dozens of players changing teams in the next week and most experts will dismiss the small-time nature of some deals, I’ll look closely at what these deals will mean for playoff-bound AHL teams.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go back to worrying about whether my beloved Bruins will make the mistake of trading Tuukka Rask or Dougie Hamilton to Columbus for Mr. Nash.

It’s rare for me to 1) post on consecutive days and 2) address social issues at this blog. Yet a response to the situation involving Justin Fontaine of the Houston Aeros is warranted.

The Human Rights Coalition’s Backstory Blog reports that Fontaine was suspended for “two games for sending an anti-gay tweet on Sunday while watching a broadcast of the Grammy Awards.”

A teammate who retweeted the garbage, Jon DiSalvatore, has not been suspended. I don’t follow the Aeros much but apparently DiSalvatore is the team captain.

Hockey should be past the neanderthal days yet this stuff still gets posted. Web 2.0 and Twitter (favorite research subjects of mine as a scholar) have definitely changed the lives of athletes, especially young athletes.

In some ways, I feel bad for athletes today given that a seemingly innocuous comment or action can get major and perhaps unfair coverage in cyberspace.

Yet despite the 140 character limit on tweets, the tweet was not innocuous. It was offensive and wrong.

Even minor league hockey players are considered professionals, which means they need to be ultra-conscientious of what they say and do.

I’d love to know what Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, who has been an outspoken supporter of gay rights, thinks of this.

My takes?

If it’s not happening already, AHL franchises should provide mandatory social media training for players. Awareness would help. I have a feeling social media use in the Wild organization will be under much stricter scrutiny now as well.

You can argue about the merits of a two-gamer for Fontaine (was it sufficient punishment?) but I’d like to see DiSalvatore lose his captaincy. Leaders make mistakes but they shouldn’t spread homophobic messages.

The Fort Wayne Komets “have admitted they are studying options such as staying in the Central Hockey League or moving to the ECHL” according to a January report in the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel.

The News Sentinel’s Blake Sebring had this story covered in a big way last week, with a follow-up news article here and column here. His column argues the Komets should move to the ECHL based on the ECHL’s stability and the CHL’s issues.

Noteworthy from Sebring’s news article last week is that ECHL western and eastern conference teams are not required to play each other during the regular season and teams contribute to a travel pool for their season-ending finals.

Travel in minor league hockey is a sore subject here at this blog, so kudos to the ECHL for doing the right thing here.

Meanwhile, Woody Wommack of the Naples Daily News wrote in late January that, “For the third straight year, rumors are circulating about the possibility of the ECHL adding teams from the Central Hockey League.” Wommack further opines, “If you ask me, now is the time for the ECHL to make it’s move and grab as many CHL teams as it can before the league goes under for good.”

A short post at JuniorHockey.com said that if the CHL’s collective bargaining agreement negotiations with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association don’t go well,  one option would be a CHL transition to junior league status.

Storm clouds indeed for the CHL, and a potential boon for the ECHL.

Yes, the CHL has had problems. The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs won the CHL championship and then folded last year; four other teams also left the league.

But the ECHL also has issues. Even with reasonable travel policies, I disagree with ECHL  expansion to San Francisco and Orlando. One of the E’s marquee teams, the Wheeling Nailers, is up for sale and the first-year Chicago Express are last in ECHL attendance.

Despite the perceived viability of the ECHL, average league attendance is slightly more than 200 more than the CHL’s average attendance.

I’m not willing to say good-bye to the CHL. It has shown resilience through turmoil and a few consecutive years without major problems would do wonders for the CHL’s reputation.

I like the CHL’s geographic footprint. It fills a major void in the middle of the U.S. and the league is helping grow minor hockey in Texas with four teams in the Lone Star State.

Yet it all comes to finances and if the CHL’s viable teams feel they can do better in the E … well, there goes the twenty-year old CHL.

Reports suggest the Central Hockey League is in trouble, yet Shooting for the Show isn't convinced that the league's end is near. (Map via the CHL.)

Check it out for yourself with the spreadsheet below: I compiled the distance from AHL affiliate to parent NHL club for all 30 franchises. Much has been made recently about American Hockey League travel concerns (here, here, and here).

Some things just don’t make sense.

The Winnipeg Jets put an affiliate team in Newfoundland, 2980 miles away this season. The NHL’s Sharks, Kings and Oilers have developed strong prospect bases and yet their affiliates are all more than 1,900 miles away.

Some NHL teams have financially favorable relationships with their AHL affiliates that minimize expenses and make travel manageable.

Still, this is the most pressing issue facing the AHL today, especially with the ECHL’s Settlers of Catan recent growth. (Yes, I did just drop a Settlers reference.)

The AHL is caught in a jam here.

Resist and the AHL may run afoul of powerful NHL teams such as the Canucks and Kings. Change and the league risks its northeastern, hard-core, tradition-based identity.

Syracuse, New York (no offense ‘Cuse) and other small cities that have long remained in the AHL’s footprint just aren’t comparable to vibrant and AHL-lacking western cities such as Salt Lake City, Seattle, or Portland, Or.

If an NHL team can keep eating travel costs, then so be it.

However, making your prospects travel across the country on a call-up isn’t very employee-friendly and it is risky given a last minute injury. Let’s see … a five hour minimum flight from Syracuse to Anaheim or an hour drive from Rochester to Buffalo?

Don’t forget the Montreal Canadians may move their AHL team from Hamilton to the closer Laval. And then there is the NFL, which has had several franchises move training camps to closer places to reduce cost and minimize travel disruptions.

The AHL has brand recognition, existing business infrastructure, and relationships with teams. We won’t see the IHL return and I doubt the ECHL threatens the league’s AAA status in the immediate future.

Yet a modern businesses should not allow member-companies to require unnecessary travel, out of either cost concerns or respect for employees.

It is up to Andrews et al. to come up with a solution. Soon.

________________________________________________________
My math on the lead:
11753 miles total for the five Pacific teams, divided by 5= 2,350 mile average commute
767 miles total on five Northeast teams, divided by 5=153 mile average commute

Chart:

The issue is about whether juniors or U.S. college hockey provides better opportunities for player development and education.  Multiple media outlets have covered this debate recently, including the Sporting News, Winnipeg Free Press and even this blog.

Given the topic’s sensitivity, reporters from the U.S. and Canada should absolutely get comments from both juniors and college reps.

When it comes to spreading the word, both sides are wisely taking advantage of television. The WHL is now in its third season on Root Sports (formerly Fox Sports), and this year has a 10 game broadcast schedule that recently launched.

The WHL on local cable makes sense. Since unexpectedly catching my first Seattle Thunderbirds game on a snowy January night two years ago, I’ve spent a few hundred dollars on jerseys and WHL tickets. Plus, the TV exposure introduced me to a level of hockey I’d been woefully uneducated about.

Meanwhile, NBC Sports Network has a 16-game Friday Night Ice schedule. Recognizing the power of TV, College Hockey Inc. Executive Director Paul Kelly offered this quote: “Broadcasters have seen that we have a great product, and they know college hockey has a passionate fanbase … This kind of coverage allows us to reach new fans and prospective players, which can only help grow the game in the future.”

This Friday was a night of pure TV joy. I caught the intense rivalries of Yale and Harvard on NBCSN and then the Tri-Cities Americans and Red Deer Rebels on Root. Even from TV, one can observe the differences in the styles of play.

Americans should watch more junior hockey to increase their knowledge of the game. College hockey is a fantastic fan experience as well, and Penn State’s move to DI should help with exposure. You can’t lose with either level … as a fan.

As each level attempts to grow, it is fascinating to see how various media platforms are used. When it comes to television, fans (including this guy) are clearly benefiting.
___________________
A look at the remaining TV schedules:

WHL on Root (PST):
Feb. 3, Everett Silvertips @ Portland Winterhawks, 7:00pm
Feb.10, Everett Silvertips @ Vancouver Giants, 7:30pm
Feb. 17, Tri-City Americans @ Seattle Thunderbirds. 7:30pm
Feb. 24, Spokane Chiefs @ Portland Winterhawks, 7:00pm
March 2, Seattle Thunderbirds @ Everett Silvertips, 7:30pm
March 16, Seattle Thunderbirds @ Spokane Chiefs, 7:00pm

College hockey on NBC Sports Network (EST, program rankings as of Nov. 2):
Feb. 3, Cornell at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 7:30 pm
Feb. 10, #1 Boston College at Vermont 7:30 pm
Feb. 10, #5 Minnesota at #8 Denver 10:00 pm
Feb. 17, Dartmouth at #9 Yale 7:30 pm
Feb. 24, #12 Boston University at Vermont 7:30 pm
Feb. 24, #15 North Dakota at #8 Denver 10:00 pm
March 2, #8 Denver at Nebraska-Omaha 7:30 pm

Growing up in Baltimore was a bit of a rough experience for a hockey fan, especially as I was getting into it, the most local team—the Baltimore Skipjacks—was on its way out of town to Portland, Maine; denying me a chance to see them live. From there, the minor league train was slow and steady through the Baltimore/Washington area.

While my father knew enough people for me to get to a lot of Washington Capitals games, the minor league experience started for me when Baltimore got hockey back in the form of the Baltimore Bandits, in which we were season ticket holders for their first season. It was closer to home, easier to get to, and a chance to see different players than what I’ve been seeing at the old Capital Centre. Sad to say, that didn’t last long as the Bandits only stayed two season before departing to Cincinnati because the city didn’t support the team, thanks to lack of advertising about the team.

The next turn for me was when the ECHL came to Upper Marlboro, Maryland as the Chesapeake Icebreakers took the ice. While I missed the first year of the team, the second year of the Icebreakers had be behind the scenes, as I got to be part of the team in the form of a locker room attendant.

As a youth player, it gave me quite the insight to the game at that “AA” level and how the players act and how they cope with being called up, sent down, being benched, and dealing with injuries when for the most part, this was their life blood because they don’t know much else aside from hockey. In fact, there were times I was able to deal with former NHLers who were there coaching (like Chris Nilan, coaching the Icebreakers) or playing for their last teams (like Daniel Berthiaume, then of the Roanoke Express).

Shooting for the Show is officially jealous that Scotty Wazz has met the Bandit, Daniel Berthiaume.

Fun fact, only one player from the Icebreakers team is still active…but not in hockey—Kaleb Toth is now a professional lacrosse player for the Calgary Roughnecks. AHL goalie David Aebischer played only 17 games in the first year and is still active…but I never met him, so he doesn’t matter.

That all said, the community did not support the team because it didn’t get enough coverage and the team then moved to Jackson, Mississippi.

Experiencing the ECHL first-hand killed my playing aspirations. You see how hard these guys train, how hard they play, how much they devote themselves, yet still not make it—very off-putting for a younger player. It’s a great look inside, but it’s also shattering when you realize that if you aren’t all-in to the concept of being a hockey player, odds are you won’t make it past college hockey when playing.

While I don’t do much of the “fan” thing anymore due to most of my time being a part of the media, I do find myself being more attracted to the major junior games than the NHL games. With five Western Hockey League teams within three hours of my house in Calgary, it gives out a little variety for where I can go. Each arena has their own atmosphere, but it’s definitely a dedicated fan base for each area, as it is the only team in that town.

The juniors, college, and minor hockey are a great outlet for people to experience the game live and actually learn to appreciate it. It’s the same great game as the NHL, but more affordable, more locally supported and appreciated, plus great to take family and friends to in order to get them involved.

Still, I have to give an attaboy to Derek Zona over at Oilers fan site coppernblue.com. Back in November Zona posted the high and low ticket prices for all 30 American Hockey League teams.

Zona’s work is remarkable because it’s comprehensive. I complained previously about the lack of sales stats for minor league jerseys and there are some other numbers I’d like to see (particularly league and team financials).

Zona’s work can be found here and is worth a look. We learn the Houston Aeros charge the most for high-end tickets ($84 for their most expensive seats). We also learn the Rockford IceHogs charge the least for low-end tickets ($8 for their least expensive tickets).

Kudos for Zona for gathering this information. This may help me plan an AHL trip or two soon.

A screen capture of Zona’s Eastern Conference ticket prices.

On Jan. 7, the New York Times ran a story under this headline “Far From the N.H.L., a League That Survived Hopes to Grow.”

One of the most exhilarating moments of my PR career was the day the Times ran a 1A story about my employer. I can imagine the joy in the FHL’s offices when Stuart Miller’s thorough, balanced, and hope-expressing piece on the league appeared.

In the story, we learn that a nightly attendance of 750 is one owner’s financial break-even point. Thank you Mr. Miller, I’ll cite this benchmark when I write next about the FHL.

The story ends with an honest and optimistic quote from league VP Andy Richards: “It’s a long journey, and every week we keep going and every year we keep going, it’ll get better.”

Good for the Times for taking the time on this league.

The FHL also gets some sort of a plug from Stan Fischler. An article posted Jan. 5 to the league’s news site has this headline “The FHL according to Fischler.“

Fischler writes about visiting a New Jersey Outlaws game. Among other things, the Maven crows, “FHL games are the most affordable in pro hockey, with an average ticket price of $13. You get a good night’s entertainment for your buck.”

Not sure how this article came together. It’s not posted to Fischler’s MSG page or his New England Hockey Journal page. Further, some apparent promotional material announced that he would be signing autographs at an Outlaws game in mid-December (back when this blog was in a deep, homework-induced hibernation).

Could the FHL end up on another Williamsport, Pa. postcard? Perhaps...

It’s a nice article for the FHL, though the Times piece is a obviously a much bigger PR get. Fischler seems to have faded from prominence in recent years.

In other news, the FHL could be coming to my backyard.

The FHL is apparently interested in bringing a team to nearby Williamsport, which doesn’t even have an arena yet. However, it could be a good idea with Penn State going DI next year. Nice hockey vibes here in central PA.

I’m quite interested attending an FHL game, either in Williamsport or in one of the league’s surviving cities.

See? Despite my earlier misgivings about the league, I am growing optimistic. Good luck FHL.

Walking up to the Comcast Arena at Everett, it’s hard to believe the place seats 10,000 for games. The arena seems hidden in plain sight in the city’s center.

Inside, it’s a different story. It is a loud, intense arena with passionate and highly knowledgeable fans.

On New Year’s Eve I finally caught my first Canadian junior game. The ‘Tips lost 5-2 to the Moose Jaw Warriors.

I was struck by the number of Silvertips jerseys. Normally games are a hodgepodge of jerseys from leagues and cities across the world. To be sure, there was the occasional Russian and Swedish national team jersey and I was one of two guys rocking a Boston Bruins jersey. Still, most everyone sported ‘Tips gear, and I think this is reflective of the city’s love for the team. My lone issue with the locals was the idiot who berated an usher for not policing people who were looking for their seats.

The game was enjoyable and fast-paced. Both teams play good systems (great forechecking, cycling, and some half-wall work). I also saw Dylan McIlrath, a 2010 first round pick of the Rangers, get into a doozy of a fight with an unfortunate Silvertip.

The Blackberry is good for many things ... but not taking photos.

I was tempted, but I did not seek a press pass for the game. I was also tempted but opted against a press pass for yesterday’s PSU Icers game.

In both cases, I didn’t want the burden. My experiences last month in Everett and yesterday in State College have me thinking about the role of us bloggers.

As anyone can tell, this blog is not often updated and it always takes a backseat to my academic work. I try but I can’t break much news here. The blog is an avenue for my musings and the occasional e-mail interview with sources who are kind enough to respond.

So … should I seek those press passes?

The upside: I can cop free tickets. I can also bring my professional camera to shoot photos without problem.

From the organization’s perspective, I get it. My request for a press pass lets them know a blogger is in their midst.

For those who post frequently, I see the reasoning. Paid or unpaid, blogging is a bit of a job and the access from a pass can be exceptionally helpful.

For me, not so much.

I have had passes at Icers games this season and I didn’t like it.

Those damn lanyards hang bulky around my neck. Real or not, I feel like I have to be “on”: I shouldn’t wear a jersey, I should make my way down to the locker room for interviews, I can’t let my mind wander and I can’t really chat with my fellow fans. Focus self, focus.

It takes away from the experience.

Then again, a blog post by me is publicity for the team (hey, don’t forget to learn more about the Silvertips by clicking here).

Upon further review … I’ll pursue the access when I start writing more, plain and simple.